Leanna's Travels
by oddmusic
Summary: Leanna has lived her life in a post-Time War Gallifrey, trapped in a bubble universe with no way out. Until one day she finds it. The key to getting out. Getting back to the universe. And through a confusing set of circumstances, she was the one to take it. Now she travels the universe with Ex-Companion of the Doctor Amy and Rory fighting against the mysterious "Twelve".
1. Chapter 1: A Way Out (Day 1, Part 1)

**Note: The re-establishment of Gallifrey as actually not being blown up offers a whole host of new possibilities, both for the writers of the show and for overzealous fanfic writers. Here's a story from one of the latter.**

 **Chapter 1: A Way Out (Day 1, Part 1)**

 _Day 1_

I intend to keep this journal as a record of my travels, the things I will see, the places I will go, the people I will meet.

For the purposes of this journal, each "Day" is a 24-hour cycle. I am choosing to count time by way of Earth Days in order to emulate an idol of mine, the Doctor, who I believe would approve of such things.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Because I enjoy stories, I will tell this journal as a story. I do not expect it to be read. In fact, I think I would be rather annoyed if it were read. Nonetheless I will tell this as a story, and I imagine that there is a reader. Reader: shame on you, going through my personal things. I was the only one who was supposed to see this.

Therefore, this will require an introduction. My name is Leanna. I am a Gallifreyan.

Since that probably means very little to you, imaginary reader who I have decided for some reason is human, allow me to clarify.

Gallifrey is a planet, which once upon a time orbited the twin stars Selas and Sulas. Nowadays, of course, it doesn't orbit much of anything at all, but is rather suspended within a bubble universe, which is self-sustaining. We get energy; we even get simulated day and night, but Selas, and Sulas we do not get.

The native people of the planet are typically assumed to be "Time Lords" which is rather like saying that the native people of Earth are actually called "Presidents". Instead we were once, in the long distant past referred to as "Olecians" but are nowadays simply called "Gallifreyans".

The Time Lords are a subspecies, of which I am not a member. This subspecies is artificially created, rather than via the traditional means of creating a subspecies via population split and natural selection. What makes them different is a discussion for another time, but they are actually made up of the best and brightest of the planet. Graduates who pass several rigorous exams and prove themselves to be fit are changed into Time Lords by the High Council of Gallifrey. Graduates educated at Universities like the Citadel Institute. The Citadel Institute where I teach.

 _Taught_. Must keep reminding myself that the past tense is a very real thing for me now. So much of what used to be my day-to-day life is now told in the past tense.

Regardless, my field of expertise is temporal physics. And my story begins in a lecture where I was explaining just exactly what had happened to us.

I was going through the basics, explaining how the 13 Doctors had sealed us in a bubble of pure time energy then transported us all to this bubble universe. And then I opened up the floor to questions.

I had no idea I was opening up the floodgates.

Most of the questions were about stuff we'd cover later in the unit. But then there were the questions about potential ways out of our situation. Most of them were awful.

Could we surround the planet with TARDISes to get Gallifrey out the same way it got back in? Of course not. That would just put us in a new bubble universe.

Could we possibly use an efator beam to cut a hole in the bubble universe and travel back to our own? Sure. It wasn't technically impossible. But we'd have no way of telling what universe we were cutting in to. There were infinite universes we could end up transporting to, and we'd have to find the right one, singular. And if we found the wrong one, there was a non-zero, probably significantly more than half possibility that we end up in a universe that cannot support our form of life. And you can guess what happens next.

Couldn't a TARDIS get someone out of this bubble universe? TARDISes had been used for inter-universal travel before after all, and they were technically attracted to our home universe. Except of course all of the TARDISes were locked into the bubble universe by a time-lock.

Except that that last idea? It wasn't exactly terrible.

TARDISes exist outside of time. Maybe that's not the proper wording. Maybe it's better to say that they can travel freely along their own timestreams. In theory, emphasis on the word "theory", a TARDIS could traverse its timestream with someone inside to a point before the Time War, then veer off in another direction.

The pilot would have to maintain absolute precision however.

I spent three days straight on the calculations. Three days, locked in my room, not taking visitors, not so much as saying "hello" to anybody working on the calculations. I did make sure somebody else would cover my classes, so there was that. I also managed to eat. It's very important to eat. Dear imaginary reader, if you ever have a project so important that you lock yourself in a room to complete, make sure you have a well stocked cupboard first.

By the end of day three I was tired, having slept very little, hungry, having eaten very little, but the end was in sight. And that was when there was a knock at my door.

What the hell, I thought, and opened the door. It was one of my students. Not one I terribly liked either.

"Hescallion," I grunted, "I'm in the middle – well technically closer to the end – of a key project here. If you could come back in a day or so."

"Professor Leanna," said Hescallion, "you haven't been in the classroom in three days."

"Like I said, key project."

Hescallion then launched in on me. He was an aspiring Time Lord, a position I hope he never achieves, and I was his temporal physics professor. By not showing up to class, or so he claimed, I was directly impacting his chances of passing the Time Lord exams. He also, in the same breath I might add, claimed that I was incapable of preparing him to pass the Time Lord exams, since I had failed them.

This is what I wish I had said to him:

"Hescallion, you might think you're smart. Hey, maybe you even are. But I'm your Temporal Physics professor. When I took the exams do you know how I did on temporal physics? I got a perfect score. A perfect score do you hear me? Do you know how often that's happened? In history? Three times. Counting me. In fact, I passed every exam except for one. That's better than 90% of anyone who takes the Time Lord exams does. So tell me, am I qualified to teach you Temporal Physics?"

That would have shut him up. I wouldn't have told him which exam I failed. That would have only convinced him more that I wasn't capable of teaching him.

Unfortunately, I was working on severe sleep deprivation, among a half dozen other barriers to forming lengthy arguments. So instead I muttered something about hypocrisy and shoved him out the door.

Besides, truth be told, Hescallion's words didn't phase me much. Normally they would. I hate that I didn't make Time Lord. It eats away at me, to this day. But I was on the verge of something huge. I knew it. It was possible, all I had to do was complete the equations.

I could tell the High Council of Gallifrey how to get back to our home universe. I could give us a way out.


	2. Chapter 2: Dodgy Escape (Day 1, Part 2)

**Chapter 2: Dodgy Escape (Day 1, Part 2)**

 _Day 1 (cont.)_

Of course, I had been working under the assumption that the High Council of Gallifrey would take a way out. After finishing I checked all my calculations, three times. Everything lined up. With these calculations and a skilled pilot, you could take a TARDIS back along its own time-stream following its course through the Time War exit the time War and then veer off into the vastness of Time and Space. We wouldn't be able to get Gallifrey out. But those that wanted could leave. The Time Lords could once again police the space-time continuum. We might be able to finally catch the Master who apparently managed to get out of Gallifrey. We might be able to thank the Doctor for saving us from death by Dalek.

Assumptions are problematic things of course. They're, by definition, built on less than substantial evidence. As a scientist, I am trained to never make hasty assumptions. But as a person, it is my nature to hope for the best.

And, if we're being honest, the idea that the High Council of Gallifrey would be anything but thrilled to learn of a way off Gallifrey never quite occurred to me.

The first few administrators I talked to seemed excited, each of them bumping me up a level on Gallifrey's ever-unwieldy bureaucracy. But when I spoke to someone of some importance his reaction was…somewhat muted.

He told me that what I had discovered was an exciting possibility (as I recall, he said this without so much as cracking a smile), but that the High Council wasn't interested in experimental methods of leaving Gallifrey at this time.

I asked him if there were any non-experimental methods. Whether that would even make sense. He didn't answer my question. Of course he didn't. The man probably didn't even know why he was saying what he was saying.

He advised me not to tell anyone what I had discovered.

I complied.

I went back to class the next day. My substitute had filled in admirably for me. The students had learned four equations, all of them complicated, in the last four days. I taught the next class without enthusiasm. Hescallion sniggered at me. Even he knew that something had gone wrong for me, and he was reveling in it.

I went home. I had grading to do, which normally relaxes me, but halfway through the grading I found myself unable to continue.

I grabbed my journal with my notes on how to escape Gallifrey in it and ran for the museum.

My university pass grants me after-hours access to the TARDISes in the museum. I even had a good excuse. As a professor of temporal physics, some of the museum pieces are ideal for study. My excuse would be that I was looking into the difference of the effects of remaining in the bubble universe were, as compared to a TARDIS that had been out in the universe.

It needed to be one grown before the Time War. That was crucial.

And indeed, there it was. A TT Timecapsule, which had been grown just 3 years before the Time War began. It would be able to exit Gallifrey, get past the Time War, and get someone into the universe.

Now I'd just have to find a willing pilot. Because there was no way that I was going to be able to pilot the TARDIS out of Gallifrey.

Have you ever had one of those moments, imaginary reader, where you can see every possibility? Where your choice seems so clear to you?

I had never piloted a TARDIS before. Not even once. I knew the theory of it of course, but the practice was another matter.

But there was no guarantee of finding a TARDIS pilot (let alone the standard 6) willing to risk everything just to get out into the universe. In fact, it was almost guaranteed, I told myself, that nobody would pilot the TARDIS for me. At the time I thought it was about proving my theory could work, having the satisfaction of knowing that I was right.

Now, I don't know.

So I locked the door behind me. And I began to operate the controls.

I don't think I can properly describe to you, fictional human reader, how difficult the next few minutes were. Following the time stream was more difficult than even I'd guessed. And if I got off it for a second, I'd be stuck wherever I ended up. I knew that. There were no second chances on this one. And there was a not unreasonable chance that I would end up in middle of the Time War.

I was hardly the ideal pilot. I knew the theory of what I was doing, not the practice. The control panel was white and hexagonal. Switches were unlabeled. Buttons were randomly placed along the panel. The food dispenser button was, for some reason next to the temporal thrusters.

The trickiest part was getting off the established time stream of the TARDIS, which was necessary, or else we'd end up with two versions of the same TARDIS in the same spot. As a professor of temporal physics, I do not recommend that.

And yet somehow, probably with some help from the TARDIS, I landed. I half expected that we'd just continue falling through time, until the beginning of the universe, and then keep falling to a point where time had no meaning, and then we'd just keep on falling in a place where the word "forever" has no meaning. But we landed.

I opened the door of the TARDIS.

I saw blackness and pinpricks of light. The universe and the stars. I was nowhere near any of them. But it didn't matter. I had made it. I was in the universe.

I grabbed my journal, and began to write.

And here I am. I sit on the edge of the TARDIS, the doors open, looking out at the beauty of the universe, having never thought I'd see any of this for real. And I realize, in this very moment, that I didn't travel out here to prove myself right. I traveled out here because I had to see this.

Now if only I knew why the High Council refused to pursue this line of research any further.


	3. Chapter 3: Civilization (Days 2-6, P1)

**Note: A pause in our main plot for a chapter or two to reintroduce some old friends.**

 **Chapter 3: Civilization (Days 2-6, Part 1)**

 _Day 2_

Today was uneventful. Yet strangely, I didn't care. It felt great just to be out here, in the universe. A little lonely, seeing as how I'm all alone, but great nonetheless. Eventually I'll hit a planet with people living on it. Though it would be nice to hit a planet with a breathable atmosphere, even nobody actually lives there. That would be a great place to start.

 _Day 3_

Another day goes by without hitting a damn thing. I ended in the orbit of two planets, and I managed to find myself in between galaxies once. In between! How the hell did the Doctor ever manage to find anything travelling like this?

I need to learn how to pilot this TARIDS better. Maybe if the controls were labeled?

 _Day 4_

Well I started labeling TARDIS controls. Of course it doesn't make much of a difference because I don't know what half of them do, and pressing buttons at random on a machine whose explosion could rip the universe apart is a very bad idea.

At least I found a planet with breathable atmosphere to walk around on. It was nice to stretch my legs.

 _Day 5_

This was a mistake, and worst of all, one I can't take back. Oh, to be sure, this TARDIS could get me back to Gallifrey…where I'd be imprisoned on the spot, if I were lucky. Stealing a TARDIS is a serious offence.

Besides it's fairly obvious to me, given my complete inability to fly this thing, that the TARDIS helped me get out here, guided me along. I wouldn't be here without her help, which only means one thing…she doesn't want me to go back.

 _Day 6_

I almost bounced off of 1953.

I didn't know it was 1953, or Earth at the time.

I take back what I said yesterday. Not the part about the TARDIS helping me – if anything she's been helping me even more than I realized.

The part I want to take back is about this being a mistake. No this was a wonderful, beautiful idea and I wouldn't take it back for anything.

It's amazing what a good day will do for you.

The scanner told me I'd hit something, probably a temporal disturbance of some kind.

Now it's entirely possible to find a temporal disturbance in a place without sentient life, but it's far more likely that a temporal disturbance represents somebody screwing around with the space-time continuum. Which means that when I nearly bounced off of 1953 my reaction was instant.

I had to make it past the temporal disturbance. There would be people on the other end.

This wasn't very scientific of me I suppose. I was, once again, making assumptions. You'd think I'd learn at some point.

Of course it doesn't help that I was right.

I'm once again fairly certain the TARDIS gave me a helping hand getting into 1953. When I landed I noticed that the door interior on the TARDIS had changed. Success. That meant that the TARDIS had camouflaged itself, which meant there was something for it to camouflage itself from. I had found intelligent life at last.

The door of the TARDIS was curved. There was a window, but I could see through it. I found the strange door handle and opened the door…and walked onto the sidewalk of New York in 1953.

I recognized the place as earth. The TARDIS had apparently disguised itself as a grey automobile, license plate and all.

And then I heard voices. There were tons of voices, but my ears picked up people excitedly saying the word "TARDIS".

I have to admit I was confused. Though I was glad to know the telepathic translation circuits on my new TARDIS were still functioning. Given the state of the thing I couldn't possibly be sure.

"Where is it?" said a redheaded woman.

"I don't know," said a man coming out of the house behind the redhead, "You'd think a Police Box would stand out in 1950s New York."

"Excuse me," I said walking up to the pair, "did you say 'Police Box'?"

"Yeah," said the woman, "so?"

"Were you looking for the Doctor?"

"Do you know him?" The woman's tone had suddenly changed from confrontational to hopeful.

"My name is Leanna," I said, figuring I'd chance it, "I'm a Gallifreyan, and I just landed here in my TARDIS, sort of by accident."

"I'm Amy Pond," said the woman, "and according to the Doctor, you're all supposed to be dead."


	4. Chapter 4: New Friends (Day 6, Part 2)

**Chapter 4: New Friends (Day 6, Part 2)**

 _Day 6 (cont.)_

I was somewhat taken aback, but over the next few hours things began making sense to me.

Amy and Rory Williams used to travel with the Doctor, from before the Doctor was made aware that he didn't blow up Gallifrey. They had lengthy adventures, which I don't particularly feel like describing here. Suffice to say, the two of them had quite a few stories to tell about the Doctor. I told them how the Doctor didn't blow up Gallifrey, how he saved it and how he locked it away.

They were suitably impressed.

I also learned why I had so much trouble arriving in 1953. While it didn't strictly apply to me, until Amy and Rory time travelled again they would be surrounded by a bubble of time energy, due to the manner in which they left the Doctor, something to do with Weeping Angels (creatures I had been under the impression were a myth).

I looked at them.

Amy had mentioned that the Doctor didn't like to see his friends getting old. Well, for them it had been 15 years since they last travelled with the Doctor.

"We were young," said Amy, as if she knew what I was thinking about, "when we were travelling with the Doctor."

"Young and stupid," added Rory.

I pointed out that the two of them seemed very excited to hear my TARDIS landing, almost as if they were expecting a chance to start having adventures again.

"No," said Amy, "we're not looking to travel again. We just thought it would be good to see the Doctor again."

"He _is_ our son in law," added Rory.

"Really," I said, "who'd he marry?"

Apparently the answer was that Amy and Rory had a daughter, who was kind of a Time Lord but not quite, and she used up most of her regenerations to save the Doctor and then she and the Doctor got married.

So some human kid gets to become a Time Lord just like that, but I study for it and nearly pass all the exams and I'm not allowed into the club.

Yes, I jealous. I feel like I have a right to be.

But don't get me wrong. I rather liked Amy and Rory. Amy was fun. In her late forties now, which I gather is around the time humans start having mid-life crises, Amy seemed perfectly comfortable with her age, and perfectly natural acting half of it.

Rory on the other hand was steady. He reminded me of my best students, after they became Time Lords and got jobs. On the whole, they'd adapted rather nicely to 20th Century Earth.

"Mind you," said Rory, "watching the world nearly tear itself apart for World War 2 was a lot harder than we thought it would be."

"Knowing something is coming," said Amy, "doesn't make it any easier to live though."

"And McCarthyism is in full swing now," added Rory, "And I'm not sure when it ends."

"We didn't exactly study much American History in school," pointed out Amy.

"Neither did I," I said, "What's McCarthyism?"

I never knew humans were so easily worked into a frenzy.

As the conversation winded down, where they told me their stories of the Doctor and I told them stories of Gallifrey, I finally made a decision.

"Listen," I said, "I can barely pilot the TARDIS. I made here with a combination of luck and help from the TARDIS itself. And while I do trust that machine, I really do…well to put it simply, could you help me pilot the TARDIS?"

There was a beat. And then Amy grinned.

"Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"We're going to go see the whole of space-time again."

"Thought you'd say that."

"And you," she added looking at me, "Are going to find some clothes that don't make you look ridiculous."

I looked at my outfit. On Gallifrey this had been quite stylish. On Earth this apparently makes me look like I'm from the circus.


	5. 5: An Alien World, Again (Days 6-8, P1)

**Note: I desperately need more formatting options than is giving me. I have now officially used all of the ones I have.**

 **Chapter 5: An Alien World, Again (Days 6-8, Part 1)**

Amy's Journal

Well hello there. I'm Amelia Jessica Pond Williams.

Most people call me Amy. A few people call me Pond. Almost nobody calls me Williams.

When I was seven I had an imaginary friend called the Doctor

And then he came back. And we had adventures together. We saw a tiny part of time and space, but a tiny part is enough to have mad adventures in. For a short while it was just he and I, and then we brought my husband Rory along for the trip.

And we had so much fun together.

But then Weeping Angels happened. And Rory and I were separated from the Doctor, forced to live a quiet life in 1938 New York.

We adapted. Rory continued being a nurse, and eventually became a Doctor. We had fun over that. I dressed him up like the Doctor and everything. He looks so cute in a bow tie.

I became an author. I wrote mostly original stuff. I tried to avoid borrowing from my adventures with the Doctor. It just felt like cheating somehow. I wrote mostly fantasy actually. Re-imagined fairy tales for the 20th Century, tales of knights and kings facing evil sorcerers. It all sold all right. Nothing spectacular.

And then one day, 15 years after Rory and I landed in 20th Century New York we heard the sound of the Doctor's time machine only it wasn't the Doctor. It was a woman from his planet in a similar time machine.

She didn't exactly have to work hard to convince us to come along with her and see the universe again.

I asked to bring along my journal. I figured I'd keep writing, a bit of non-fiction, not that anyone on Earth would be able to tell the difference.

Today is the first day of a new life of exploration.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 7_

This is only the seventh day the Leanna has been traveling among the stars.

I suppose I have more experience than her. I've seen more of the universe than her, what with her being trapped on Gallifrey her whole life. Funny how that works out.

I put "Day 7" up there at the top of my page because Leanna's been writing it the day that way in her journals. And I like continuity.

Today we all tried flying the TARDIS together.

I think the most the Doctor ever let me fly the TARDIS was yelling at me to flip a lever. I don't think he ever told me the thing was supposed to be flown by six people.

It wasn't easy. I wish I'd learned to do this when I was younger, and travelling with the Doctor. Running between panels and desperately trying to manipulate the controls is definitely the work for someone younger than me.

Each of us got two panels to work with. Leanna showed Rory and me the basics and then started yelling out commands at us while we desperately tried to keep up. The scary part was, she didn't really know what she was doing either. We were all learning together.

We didn't actually land on the planet we were aiming for, but we did get in orbit around the thing, so that's something.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 7_ _[excerpt]_

Rory is a natural. Either that or all that time in the Doctor's TARDIS led to him picking up a few tricks. But he moves between the panels like he's afraid they'll explode.

Amy's picking it all up a little slower. But when she learns something, she has it down. And she's got about triple the confidence of her husband, which I can't help but like.

We failed to land on the planet we were aiming for, but we did maneuver ourselves into orbit around a neighboring planet. I told Amy and Rory it was the planet we were aiming for. It seemed like a good lie to tell.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 8_ _[excerpt]_

Today was a bad day. Today was a very, very, very bad day.

Let me explain.

For the second time in my life I landed on an alien world. I was excited. I think Amy and Rory were excited too but they tried to pretend they weren't. They wanted to show me what people who were used space-time travel did when they arrived on a new planet. Of course it had been over 15 years since they had done this.

The TARDIS door was now fairly short and rectangular, but wide. All three of us had to crouch to get through it. And then we arrived in the city.

The city was made up of very rectangular buildings. An entire city of rectangular buildings, irregularly placed throughout the town. The contrast between the perfectly systematic construction of the buildings and the completely random placement of the buildings confused me. The TARDIS had disguised itself as one of the buildings.

What I quickly realized was that we'd stepped into a warzone. Advanced weaponry, I told my friends, seemed to have rained in from above. The rectangular buildings were either military encampments or temporary housing set up after an attack.

"We should leave," I said.

Amy seemed to think otherwise. Rory agreed with his wife. I was outvoted two to one.

I pointed out that all the houses in this place were built for beings much shorter than us. Pointed out that they wouldn't look Gallifreyan, at the bare minimum because the height was wrong. Pointed out that there wasn't much we could do to disguise ourselves because we were to tall and didn't know what the beings looked like.

Rory said something about inter-species cooperation.

The nonsensicalness of me being the cautious one in any interpersonal event was too much for my brain to take in.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 8_ _[excerpt]_

And this…this was the point at which things really went to hell.

If I were at all a talented artist I might just draw the people from this world and call it a day.

But seeing as I cannot draw to save my life, let me just try a description instead.

They were sort of humanoid, I'll give them that much. Leanna was right. They were short. Three foot six on average, I'd guess. The fact that I'm describing this in feet and inches is a sure sign that my brain has slowly started to disintegrate and become American over the last 15 years.

Their skin was a bluish green. They didn't have noses. Maybe they don't smell? They all had incredibly sharp teeth, like something out of a vampire movie. Or maybe the better description is like the teeth on actual vampires I met in Venice. The ones that turned out to be fish. Never mind that was terrible description. That means they're carnivores, I'd imagine. Either that or plant matter on this planet is very different than that on our own.

The women don't, as far as I can tell, have breasts. They aren't technically mammals then. They also each have three legs, set in a tripod sort of setup, with one front leg and two hind ones. You wouldn't think it, but they actually move quite well. They do have two arms each.

When I first met them, what I noticed most was the things in their arms. Rather large guns. Pointed at us.

All together, we all put our hands up.


	6. Chapter 6: Wartime (Day 8, Part 2)

**Chapter 6: Wartime (Day 8, Part 2)**

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 8_ _(excerpt)_

So we were all forced in at gunpoint into a small room. We were searched, but of course none of us had any weapons. I had a couple scientific instruments, but nothing actually dangerous. Of course, it was all very advanced to them, so they just took it as more evidence that we were dangerous in some way.

We were chained to a table. They didn't actually have chairs or anything like them, which judging by their physiology makes a kind of sense. They couldn't possibly use a chair with the way their legs were arranged.

And then they started the interrogation.

One thing about wartime is, it brings out the worst in people.

I was only a baby during the Time War, I never saw any of it. But I've heard that the High Council of Gallifrey went mad. Considering recent events I wouldn't be shocked to learn that they haven't recovered yet.

This planet is different from Gallifrey of course. Very low-tech, limited space flight, their guns are energy weapons, but rather inefficient ones. But I think I recognized the looks on their faces. They were the same looks my father got on his face when he talked about the days of the Time War.

Amy's Journal

 _(Day 8)_

Leanna's quite intelligent, but she's not terribly bright. So she immediately started out by asking our interrogators, "So how can I help you?" The scary part was, she was being completely sincere.

I should note that I'm making up half this conversation. I'm going off of what I remember.

The response was immediate: "Why have the Twelve sent spies?"

Rory tried a turn: "Who are the Twelve?"

"We know you're with them. You look like their commander!"

"A lot of species look human," I said, "that's the two of us," I indicated my husband and myself, "humans. She's not human at all, she's Gallifreyan. So it could be a completely different species."

"Why would two species look so similar?" asked the interrogator.

"Dumn luck," said Leanna, "Nobody really knows. The olecianoid form is very common throughout the cosmos, and the most common form is the one you see right before you, accounting for approximately 39% of intelligent life catalogued in the universe, which I think you'll agree is a rather substantial percentage of –"

"Quiet," said the interrogator.

"Wait a minute," said Rory, "you said we looked like their commander right? But not their soldiers?"

"Some of their soldiers are made of metal, but very much alive," said the interrogator. Some of them are red skinned and very tall. And some appear like their commander."

"Multi-species army," said Leanna, "interesting."

"'Made of metal, but alive,'" I repeated, "Cybermen?"

"Wait a minute," said Leanna, "you said 'The Twelve' right?"

"This," said our interrogator, clearly annoyed at our conversation, "is an interrogation, not a discussion. My name is General Cleifkanok. I am your interrogator. Now, why have The Twelve sent spies."

"'The Twelve,'" repeated Leanna, "It rings a bell. Cybermen, Olecianoids with similar skin coloration and…what. The third species, the red-skinned ones. What do they look like?"

"Don't joke around with me!" said our interrogator, "Answer the question."

"It's a good question though," said Rory, "Why would 'The Twelve' bother sending spies? That's why you're not asking what our mission is. You want to know what possible reason they could have for sending spies." I saw his train of thought and joined in.

"We saw," I said, "the state of your city out there. It's a ruin. You're facing an enemy with far superior weapons. You cannot defend yourselves. There isn't any good reason for your enemies to send spies. So we aren't spies."

"You've already lost this war, General," said Leanna, "I can see it in your eyes. My father lived through a war against an unstoppable force. If not for an extremely fortunate set of events, I wouldn't even be alive to talk about it, I would have died before I reached my second birthday.

"General, you look like my father did, when he talked about the war. That's not just because you're fighting a war. It's because you cannot win."

"We might be able to help you," I offered, "Leanna is very smart, she knows all about aliens and things. And Rory and I have travelled through a lot we've been in situations sort of like this."

The General looked at us. I looked at his eyes, wondering what Leanna was talking about. Maybe she was lying; maybe she didn't see anything in his eyes. But I think she saw something that I couldn't, because she grew up with it.

"What can it hurt?" said Rory, "How could letting us help possibly make the situation worse."

In the room with us there was a soldier that had just been standing there. Until General Cleifkanok told him to unlock the restraints on us I'm not sure I even noticed him. When the General did, he looked annoyed, but did a strange salute and did so.

"Now," said Leanna, "Let's talk about 'The Twelve'".


	7. 7: While the Time Lords Are Away (D8,P3)

**Chapter 7: While the Time Lords are Away (Day 8, Part 3)**

Amy's Journal

 _Day 8 (_ _excerpt_ _)_

I don't think I was quite ready for what Leanna was going to tell us today.

We didn't know it. I don't think she even knew it.

"The Twelve. Twelve species I'd imagine?" she said, "Well technically the Cybermen are modified humans, but close enough. So twelve species. Why is this sounding familiar?"

"We've only seen three different groups of aliens," said the General, "the ones that look like the three of you –"

"Possibly humans," interjected Leanna.

"Right," said the General, "The ones in the silver armor –"

"Cybermen," I offered, hoping to be of some use, now that we'd talked the General out of thinking we were spies.

"And the ones with the red skin."

"Not sure about those," said Leanna, "if you had pictures…"

"Haven't really had time. First they attacked with their starships from above. We couldn't defend ourselves. The city you saw is the result of that devastation. Then they attacked. Our communication networks are down. We have no coordination.

"We were a planet of many nations before the war. When the ships came, every nation reacted as its own entity. Chaos reigned. By the time we realized the ships were hostile, it was too late. Who knows what Slaiderban or the United Republic of Etia are up to, if they even still exist.

"So you'll forgive us, ma'am, if we haven't bothered taking pictures of our attackers."

"I never expected you to," said Leanna, "just hopeful is all."

"Do you have any data on the attackers," I said, hoping for some sort of information.

"We have one of the weapons the silver men – Cybermen? – dropped," said the general.

"Let me see," said Leanna.

The general indicated to the soldier near him to go get the weapon.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 8 (_ _excerpt)_

Dear reader, figment of my imagination though you may be, let me tell you about the Alliance of Thirteen.

In the early days of the Time War, the Time Lords hoped to gather allies against the oncoming Dalek menace. They figured that an army of genocidal cyborgs bent on the extermination of all life forms that weren't them taking over Time might be problematic for other species around the universe.

The search for allies didn't go as well as had been hoped but by the end they did manage to cobble together twelve powers of enough technological prowess to at least to keep the Daleks busy while the Time Lords went through the messy business of the extermination of all Daleks.

The Time Lords aren't very good at irony.

They were known for a while as the Anti-Dalek Alliance, but they quickly became known as the Alliance of Thirteen.

Among the twelve allies of the Time Lords were Cybermen, Humans and a red skinned species that matched all of the basic description of General Klaifkahnack. In the actual war against the Daleks they fared poorly, getting obliterated, and eventually they withdrew entirely.

It had been assumed, incorrectly I realize, that the remains of the Alliance of Thirteen had fallen apart, leaving Time Lords and Daleks to fight it out nearly taking the rest of the space-time continuum with them.

I grew up on these stories. They were part of my history classes when I was a little girl.

Apparently the twelve allies of the Time Lords kept together and started invading planets.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 8 (_ _excerpt_ _)_

"And you can tell this all from a gun?" I asked, somewhat dubious.

"The Cybermen don't typically use guns to begin with," explained Leanna, "usually they have built in weapons. During the Time War, they had to enter and exit areas of Gallifrey where weapons were off limits. They did what they always did, adapted. This gun is from that era."

It was small and cylindrical. It didn't seem to have any kind of switch or trigger, but out the back was a lengthy rubber tube that seemed to serve no function.

"How does turn on?" asked Rory, apparently thinking the same thing I was.

"It doesn't," said Leanna, "not unless you're a Cyberman. This rubber tube connects to the Cyberman's chest plate. The Cyberman controls it the same way the Cybermen do with their usual weapons: with their minds. The weapon is still a part of them. It's just a part they can take off and put back on again.

"It all adds up. The gun, the species you described," she indicated the general, "Everything adds up. The Twelve are an alliance of the twelve species that allied with the Time Lords at the beginning of the Time War. And they're invading worlds. The only question is…why?"

We all stared at the general.

"I know nothing," said the general, "they just appeared in the sky one day."

"How old is your space program?" asked Leanna.

"About 24 years."

"And how long is that. In terms of generations I mean. Different species, different lifespans, different planets, different lengths of years…" Leanna trailed off.

"About 2 generations."

I'm guessing their years were incredibly short. Or they don't live very long, but I'd rather it were the former.

"So two generations ago, you started sending people out in to space," said Leanna, "and soon after, I'm guessing you did what all other intelligent species do when they discover space travel. You sent out messages with information about your culture. Given a little bit of time for The Twelve to find them and they decide your world is ripe for invasion."

"So our skies are burning because we sent out information about ourselves into space?" said the general.

"That doesn't make sense," I said, "No, that's just how they found out about you. We still don't know what made them want to invade."

"Maybe there's some large quantity of a rare resource here," offered up Rory.

"Possibly," said Leanna, "But the universe is quite big, and the Twelve have technology that would blow the minds of everyone on this planet. They could find a source in an uninhabited world. So why invade here?"

"Maybe something in those time capsules seemed threatening to them?"

"I doubt it," said the general, "unless The Twelve are really scared of soil samples and our vast understanding of calculus. We sent out very little information about our political situation because it was in flux at the time. Two great powers were gathering allies in preparation for a war – a war that never happened when one of the great powers fell.

"We didn't want to scare any potential aliens off by making them think we were prone to violence, so we limited information about our political situation to some bare essentials."

"I don't know," said Leanna, "I can't imagine what would possibly make The Twelve want to invade you."

"Regardless," I pointed out, "we need to stop these people from getting trampled. We need to stop this invasion."

"Well," said Leanna, "that is what convinced the general to let us go. But tomorrow. I think we're all tired. Everyone needs their sleep. Even me."

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 8 (_ _excerpt_ _)_

So today was a very bad day. I got held up at gunpoint by scared natives, and talked my way out of it…and into the position of trying to help said natives win an impossible war. A war against a faction that was once allied with my people.

But at least it's over. If one thing is for sure, tomorrow will be a worse day.


	8. Chapter 8: A Brilliant Plan (Day 9)

**Note: I'd just like to point out that in this chapter I use the word savvy. I like that word a lot, but I rarely have a good reason to use it.**

 **Chapter 8: Brilliant Plan (Day 9)**

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 9_

Was today as bad a day as I thought it would be? By some miracle, one named Amy Pond, today was a good day.

I woke up this morning on the planet of Calth, where my new friends and I worked on a plan to free the local intelligent species, the Wexler from an invasion by The Twelve.

So not a good start.

I tried working on upgrading the weapons systems on Calth, a difficult prospect seeing as I'm not actually a weapons manufacturer, nor am I familiar with the weapons of Calth. But it was all hopeless. Any modifications I was savvy enough to make would be useless against the kinds of weapons the Twelve would have in store. Defensive upgrades were hopeless too.

I did set up a resonance barrier that would keep the Twelve from teleporting directly to the surface, but it wasn't exactly going to stop them from taking over.

Also I wasn't able to find enough power to set up the resonance barrier across the entire planet, just across 300 square miles surrounding the military base. So really just the surrounding city.

The Wexler did actually have some rudimentary force field capabilities, but nothing near what we'd need to stop the Twelve. It was all looking pretty hopeless.

Amy's Journal

I was taken aback by Leanna's very military focus. I knew she wasn't The Doctor but somehow this hammered it home for me. It wasn't just that she wasn't The Doctor. There was a philosophical divide at work here.

I miss traveling with The Doctor now more than ever. I quite like Leanna in her own way. But I can't help but think that The Doctor would have worked all this out quicker, and on his own. It doesn't help that this is all very Time Lordy (that is not a word. As a novelist you would think that I would know beter).

And of course, there was my plan.

Yes, my plan. Not Leanna's, not even Rory's, I called this one. Yes I'm gloating, and yes, I've earned the right.

While Leanna was busy thinking of ways to upgrade the defensive systems on Calth, it occurred to me. The Twelve used to work for the Time Lords.

"Yeah, but I'm not a Time Lord," pointed out Leanna.

"You're from their planet. You're from their species," I said, "could they really tell the difference?"

Leanna considered this.

"Not unless they've gotten some serious upgrades. They'd have to be able to identify how temporal energy interacts with an individual. Gallifreyans naturally have high levels of temporal energy, so they'd have to actually see how the temporal energy reacts to me."

I'm pretty sure she used all of those words, though I'm not entirely sure about the order. There were also some longer ones in there that I'd never heard before. And talking to the Doctor doesn't count. I always tuned him out when he started giving technical explanations.

I guess I'm going to have to start doing that with Leanna too.

My plan was pretty simple. Have Leanna claim that she was a Time Lord to get on the mothership, sneak Rory and me on, and sabotage the thing, maybe convince The 12 that this planet wasn't worth it.

As plans go it was incredibly dangerous, a little bit stupid and entirely hopeless. In other words, it was the kind of plan that the Doctor might have come up with.

Leanna talked us through some of the technical stuff we'd need to know to disable the ship, and pointed out to us that if The Twelve's technology had changed too much we would be sabotaging blind.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 9_

So today was a good day. And maybe tomorrow will be to. We're all just waiting now. Waiting for the Twelve to attack.


	9. Chapter 9: Untimely Disguise (D10-13,P1)

**Chapter 9: Untimely Disguise (Days 10-13, Part 1)**

Amy's Journal

 _Day 10_

Nothing much happened today. No attack by The Twelve. The food here is absolutely disgusting, and they're still not letting us back onto the TARDIS, which has an actual food dispenser with food that a human might eat.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 11_

Amy's plan isn't terrible. But I can't help be concerned. What if it doesn't work?

No attack again today. General Cleifkanok assures us that they'll be coming. I'm not sure. What if they already got what they wanted from this planet?

Amy's Journal

 _Day 12_

Food…still terrible.

Twelve…still not attacking.

The Wexler…still not letting us in the TARDIS.

On the positive side I've had some time to work on my writing. I'm currently working on parallel construction, thus the above introduction.

Okay, that was all entirely sarcastic, but I am actually working on my writing. Doing some Science Fiction. Never wrote any Science Fiction. You might think it would be the first thing I'd try writing as soon as I became a novelist, and you'd be right. But it didn't quite feel genuine at the time. Trying to write Sci Fi felt so…fake compared to what I'd seen. But now that I'm on an alien world again, it feels authentic.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 12 (excerpt)_

I've finally managed to make perception filters for Amy and Rory while they're onboard the Twelve's ship. That will make it a lot simpler to sneak them onboard the mothership.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 13_

The Twelve have just begun their assault on Wexler. I am writing this down and giving my journal to Amy, in case our deception should fail.

Amy and Rory are wearing their perception filters. They work well. I can barely see them, and I know they're right next to me. With any luck, they'll fool the 12's ship.

This journal has my instructions on how to disable the Twelve's mothership. It also has as much of my life's work in temporal physics in it. I hope that, if I do not survive this day, or I am captured, at least my life's work survives.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-2  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

ADMIRAL ALEXIS MORGAN: Is the attack proceeding according to schedule?

SUBADMIRAL CYBERUNIT #43: Affirmative.

MORGAN: You always provide the most scintillating conversation, 43.

 _Communication window opened_

CAPTAIN ALOCIANA DAXLER: Sir. There's a woman here claiming to be a Time Lord. She appears to be on her own, but there are two other life signs. We're having difficulty finding the source. Could be an uncategorized life form.

MORGAN: Don't bother with the life signs. Just send up the woman. What did she say her name was?

DAXLER: The Professor.

MORGAN: That's a Time Lord style name at least. Titles over names. What does scanner equipment say?

DAXLER: She's definitely from Gallifrey. Biology fits. But we can't determine whether or not she's a Time Lord unless she's aboard The Beacon.

MORGAN: Understood Captain Daxter. Transport her up.

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership (excerpt)

1) You'll want to start by disabling the fleet. This should be simple enough. The Twelve's systems should all be integrated on a single computer system. You'll need to make your way to the mothership's mainframe.

2) Be careful at this juncture. There will be people working at the computer workstations and while they'll be predisposed not to see you, you may be better off in disguises, just to be on the safe side.

3) Find a computer terminal and access "Fleet Control".

4) You'll need a password for this function. This should be a simple enough computer hack. Open the application on the computer terminal "Mainframe" and enter the following code:

{DS}_Mainframe_

…

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center (continued)  
_Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-2  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

MORGAN: You aren't a Time Lord.

THE PROFESSOR: I think you'll find I am.

MORGAN: You're a Gallifreyan. Enough to fool the sensors on The Mazarua, but The Beacon has more sophisticated sensors. Just who are you?

THE PROFESSOR: I am a Professor. Not "the" Professor I suppose. Not the definite article, just another in a long line of Temporal Physics Professors. Also, another in a long line of TARDIS thieves.

MORGAN: I see. Well, Professor, we have no quarrel with you. Just with the people on the planet below.

PROFESSOR: And that's an interesting question see. Because I can't help but wonder. What did the Wexler do to make you want to invade their world? It's not resources you're after – nothing on the planet below can't be found in greater abundance on another planet. The Twelve aren't exactly the kind to attack indiscriminately.

CYBERUNIT #43: The attack is required by our Prime Directive.

PROFESSOR: Your Prime Directive was to help the Time Lords defeat the Daleks. Which you failed at by the way.

MORGAN: You really have no idea do you? What the people down below are?

PROFESSOR: That can't be Skaro down there. Wrong atmosphere composition. So they're not actually going to become the Daleks. So what is scaring so much about a bunch of people that, from your perspective, might as well be fighting with slingshots?

CYBERUNIT #43: The people on Calth must be eliminated.

PROFESSOR: Why? And more to the point, what are humans doing teaming up with Cybermen? During the Time War, okay sure, the Daleks had to be stopped or they'd kill everyone not-Dalek, Humans and Cybermen alike. But now? Cybermen are humans, converted into cyborgs. You're natural enemies.

MORGAN: Professor. I do appreciate you have questions. I can understand why. And I do promise that in due time, we will answer your questions to the best of our abilities. But there is one key question you need to answer. How did you get off of Gallifrey?

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership (excerpt)

5) Once completed select the fleet menu. Now, I do not know the Twelve's systems well enough to know how to disable their ships, but I can tell you what you're looking for. Amy, Rory. You need to work out how to cut off all power to all of the ships in the invasion fleet.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center (continued)  
_Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-3  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

SHIPMAN LUCIUS TASK: Admiral Morgan, there's an emergency. All the power to the ships in the invasion fleet has been cut.

MORGAN: You! Did you have something to do with this? Don't you dare shrug at me! You cannot disable this fleet. Our mission is far too important!

PROFESSOR: Admiral Morgan. I'm afraid, whatever the cause of this incident was, I will not be answering any of your questions today.

CYBMERMAN #43: Power drain averted on our ship Admiral. Awaiting orders.

MORGAN: Can we get power back to the fleet?

CYBERMAN #43: Not for 4 days, if all units operate at maximum efficiency.

MORGAN: That seems unlikely. Get the Professor off of my Command Center, and throw her in a cell.

SECURITY OFFICERS BRYAN ALVAREZ & LEWAXI GALTORAN: Yes, sir!

MORGAN: She must have had help. Figure out where the power drain originated.

CYBERMAN #43: I obey.

MORGAN: That's what I like about you 43. So dependable.

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership (excerpt)

6) If by some miracle, you two manage to cut off the power to the Fleet you'll need to move slowly, carefully, but purposefully away from the computer terminal. They will be able to identify the computer terminal used to disable their systems. But if you move too fast, the perception filters will fail. Be careful my friends. And don't get captured.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 10_ (excerpt)

We're about to infiltrate the Twelve's mothership. Once upon a time, I would have gone into this armed with very little, and still bubbling with optimism. But time has worn the optimism away.

We're going to get captured, and probably killed.


	10. Chapter 10: It All Falls Down (D13, P2)

**Note: Apologies for the slight delay in getting this chapter out. I had the perfect storm of massive writer's block in general, massive writer's block for** _ **Leanna**_ **in particular, and a giant schedule overload.**

 **Chapter 10: It All Falls Down (Day 13, Part 2)**

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership (excerpt)

6) (…) Oh, and by the way, considering you've just turned off the power to the fleet, the 12 will be on high alert. I would lie to you and pretend you stood any reasonable chance of getting out of there, but this was your idea Amy, so you should know, this is the part where you probably get captured.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center (continued)  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-3_ _  
_ _Transcript retained for historical significance_

CYBERUNIT #43: Admiral. Cause of the power drain detected. The power was drained from onboard our ship at computer terminal 31. Security has been alerted.

MORGAN: Trojan horse.

CYBERUNIT #43: It does not appear that a Trojan horse was used to disable the fleet's power.

MORGAN: No, no 43. The story. The Trojans let in a giant wooden horse that the Greeks had made, not realizing that along with it they were letting in an army. We let the Professor onboard, not realizing we were letting in saboteurs.

CYBERUNIT #43: No other life forms entered the ship with the Professor.

MORGAN: None that the guards noticed. But the Professor is Gallifreyan. She might be able to cobble together some rudimentary technology fairly quickly. And on Gallifrey, a perception filter is rudimentary. 43, I want you to go through the ships logs detailing the Professor's arrival. See if there were any life signs other than the Professor's.

CYBERUNIT #43: I obey.

MORGAN: I know you do. Admiral Morgan to ship's security. Be alert. The intruders are likely wearing perception filters.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 34  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-3_ _  
_ _Transcript retained for historical significance_

SECURITY CHIEF WELLIAS FOXTER: Professor. My name is Security Chief Wellias Foxter. I am going to ask you a few questions.

PROFESSOR: A Borthan interrogator. How nice.

WELLIAS: You snuck aboard this ship –

PROFESSOR: Technically I was invited up.

WELLIAS: – You snuck aboard this ship at least one other person, probably wearing a perception filter, who has just disabled the power to most of our fleet. We know this.

PROFESSOR: Actually no, you don't.

WELLIAS: Yes, we do. Who else could have disabled the ship?

PROFESSOR: Accident? A traitor among your ranks? Freak systems failure? I'll admit your theory is the most plausible but it is by no means the only possible one.

WELLIAS: So you do not deny doing this.

PROFESSOR: All I want to know is what is going on. The Borthans were the smallest military power among the Twelve when the Alliance of Thirteen was formed. And now you're standing tall – or at least what I assume you imagine to be tall – invading an alien world with Humans and Cybermen. None of this makes a bit of sense.

WELLIAS: What is your name?

PROFESSOR: Unimportant. You wouldn't have heard of me. I was born in the later stages of the Time War. I was too young to remember it, let alone get a reputation.

WELLIAS: Then give me your name. I don't want to call you "Professor" all the time.

PROFESSOR: You did it all the time with Time Lords. Or do you think "The President" was actually named "The President".

WELLIAS: You are not a Time Lord.

PROFESSOR: True. But this fascination with my name is puzzling. What do you care? If my name were, say Exart, what would that tell you?

WELLIAS: Very well, "Professor". Then I have a simple question for you. Where are the saboteurs aboard The Beacon?

PROFESSOR: I thought we'd established that it wasn't confirmed I even knew who they were.

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership (excerpt)

7) Oh, I should probably tell you where you're going. You're going to make a slight detour. You see, we need to give the Wexler some way of fighting back if the Twelve ever decide to come back here. Head over to the weapons systems. This is the hard part.

8) So, if by some small miracle you made it to step 8, then congratulations! You have official survived much longer than I had ever dreamed to suspect. Amy you grab a gun. There should be one near the weapons. Oh yes, and there should also be somebody actually by the weapons systems. If this is a human vessel the gun you have should have some sort of "stun" setting, as well as a "silent" setting in the menu of it's OS. That will all drain the battery, so try not to fire too many shots.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center (continued)  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-4_ _  
_ _Transcript retained for historical significance_

CYBERUNIT #43: Admiral Morgan. Life signs confirmed. Two of them. Most likely human judging by heart rate and blood pressure.

MORGAN: Two intruders. Tell security. Tell Security Chief Wellias.

CYBERUNIT #43: Already done.

MORGAN: Well done 43. We are going to catch these suckers.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 34  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-4_ _  
_ _Transcript retained for historical significance_

WELLIAS: It has been confirmed. The two intruders arrived with you. Who are they? Why are they here? Where are they?

PROFESSOR: All right. Fine. Who are they? Just a pair of humans I ran into on Earth in the 20th Century. Though they're actually from the 21st. Why are they here? To commit acts of sabotage which I won't be specifying here. Where are they? If I knew, I wouldn't tell you.

WELLIAS: You must know. You must tell us.

PROFESSOR: I "must" know. How presumptuous is that? I'm just the distraction, I'm sure you've worked that much out. They're the saboteurs. What makes you think I even know what their plan is?

WELLIAS: Because you're the Gallifreyan. They're just humans from the 21st Century, by your admission. There's no way they're the brains behind this operation.

PROFESSOR: They travelled for a long time with the Doctor.

WELLIAS: The Doctor, somewhat famously, doesn't tend to give his companions a lot of technical lessons.

PROFESSOR: Good point.

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership (excerpt)

9) If you are reading this you have successfully incapacitated the weapons systems operator. Congratulations. At this point, I am inclined to believe that some deity or other has decided to give us a helping hand. Rory, you'll handle this part, you're better with the science. Amy, keep a lookout. Rory, I need you to download all of the technical specs for the weapons aboard all of the Twelve's ships onto the hard drive attached to your perception field generator. Oh, I should mention there's a hard drive on your perception field generator. That's why it's bulkier. Simply insert the hard drive onto the corresponding slot on the terminal. Then on the system you will want to enter the following code, which will, probably, download the required specs:

{DS}_Mainframe_Systems-Data

{MSD}_Weapons_Systems

…

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center (continued)  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-6_ _  
_ _Transcript retained for historical significance_

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER TARIX OLARIA: Admiral Morgan there's some strange activity going on at a weapons systems terminal on Deck 12.

MORGAN: What kind of strange activity?

TARIX: Looks like a major download in progress sir.

MORGAN: Subadmiral 43, alert a security team, and remind them that the intruders will be wearing perception filters.

CYBERUNIT #43: I obey.

MORGAN: What are they downloading?

TARIX: Looks like they're downloading weapons specs sir. Weapons specs from every single weapon aboard the fleet.

MORGAN: Professor, I do believe you and your friends have just made your first mistake. Should have kept the download small. Now you're just giving us time to catch them.

[…]

 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-7_

Communication window opened

SECURITY OFFICER BRYAN ALVAREZ: Admiral Morgan, Security Officer Bryan Alvarez reporting sir!

MORGAN: Go ahead officer.

ALVAREZ: We've captured the intruders successfully sir. A man and a woman. Both human by the looks of them.

MORGAN: Go find them a cell and keep them apart. Have you informed the Security Chief yet officer?

ALVAREZ: Foxter…I mean Chief Wellias asked that he not be disturbed during interrogation except by your orders sir.

MORGAN: Well go ahead and give him the good news. Officer Tarix.

TARIX: Yes sir!

MORGAN: Did they finish downloading the weapons specs?

TARIX: It does not appear so sir. And in any case they've had no time to send whatever information they've collected off The Beacon.

MORGAN: Thank you Officer Tarix. Well Professor. Your people tried your best. But it would seem you've lost.


	11. Chapter 11: Captured (Day 13, Part 3)

**I don't know if you've been missing the journals, but I have. Since I don't want to write journals written from a perspective set after the mission until we know whether or not it was successful or not, so I've come up with an alternate solution…**

 **Chapter 11: Captured (Day 13, Part 3)**

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-14  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

 _Communications window opened_

WELLIAS: It has been confirmed, Admiral Morgan, the two humans are Amy and Rory Williams. Checking through the UNIT archives reveals that the Professor was at least telling the truth on one point – they are former associates of the Doctor.

MORGAN: Thank you, Security Chief Wellias. Any other information?

WELLIAS: The two humans haven't revealed anything.

MORGAN: Told you anything, Wellias, the phrase you're looking for is "told you anything". Your English seem pretty arcane.

WELLIAS: Apologies admiral.

MORGAN: It was a joke Wellias, no need to apologize. You know, as I've been serving aboard a ship with Borthans and humans, I'm starting to get the distinct impression that humans are the only species in the universe besides Time Lords that ever got around to inventing humor.

WELLIAS: Hardly Admiral. But Borthan humor is rather complex. I don't think humans would be able to follow the train of our jokes.

MORGAN: I see. What about the professor?

WELLIAS: She's being rather difficult. She hasn't lied to me thus far – aside from claiming to be a Time Lord obviously – but she only reveals as much information as to be entirely useless. And she asked for some paper and a pen. And she's been writing…well sir it looks like a journal.

MORGAN: I take it you've been reading the journal?

WELLIAS: Of course. I was hoping she might reveal something accidentally, but frankly sir, she's too smart for that.

MORGAN: Thank you Chief Wellias.

 _Communication window closed._

MORGAN: Communications Officer Olaria.

OLARIA: Yes sir.

MORGAN: I need you to cull through the details of the UNIT files on these two…Rory and Amy Williams. Maybe we can find out something that will help us in interrogation.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 13 (Captured)_

I have, it would seem, grown quite fond of writing in a journal.

At least that's the only explanation I can come up with for why I asked Security Chief Wellias Foxter for some paper and a pen.

I suppose I could have wanted to do some temporal physics for fun – it wouldn't be the first time – but, no, this was all about writing my thoughts down for myself.

Except of course this isn't really a private space. Note to self: Watch what you write in this journal. Even if you scratch it out, they might be able to reconstruct it. Even if you tear it apart and eat it, they might be able to figure out what was written on it from the cameras. So just watch what you write, okay?

I've been captured.

That's not even entirely accurate. We've been captured. Our captors have us, all three of us, exactly where they want us.

Also, fictional reader, I've decided you're not human anymore. I'm not sure what species you are, but after getting myself captured aboard a ship commanded by a human with a crew that's nearly half human, I've kind of soured on humans for the moment, even if my friends are human.

I guess what has me the most confused by all of this, is everybody's insistence aboard The Beacon – that's the ship I'm on – that what they're doing is the right thing. It makes no sense. They are trying to conquer a planet that, as far as I can tell holds no value to them, or strategic importance.

The Admiral said something about the Wexler "being" something. After I asked about their "Prime Directive". Which, when the alliance was formed was about defeating the Daleks. I don't get it. Which would make sense, if the Wexler could have become the Kaleds. But there's no way. Not even a remote chance. So what the hell is going on?

Beside that, what's worrying me is the curiosity surrounding me.

I'm not worried because it exists. They should be very surprised to see somebody from Gallifrey running around the Universe besides the Doctor or the Master. And the Doctor's granddaughter, possibly. Because as far as they're concerned, Gallifrey was blown up with just about its entire population still on it. Which raises a very basic question.

Why are they asking me questions about how I escaped Gallifrey, rather than being surprised that there was a Gallifrey to escape from? Why are they asking me my name, rather than asking me how I could be alive?

The inescapable conclusion to be derived from the above three paragraphs is that The Twelve are aware that Gallifrey still exists, somewhere. But with nobody getting on it or off of it, the question remains, how do they know?

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.13-16  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

 _Communications window opened_

WELLIAS: Admiral Morgan, we have a problem.

MORGAN: Go ahead Wellias.

WELLIAS: Security sweeps have been unable to locate the Perception Field generators. It's pretty clear from the readings we were getting off of the humans that they were wearing them when they arrived aboard The Beacon, but what seems less clear is what they did with them. Security camera footage is proving to be unhelpful, and our technicians are telling us that if it's just the field generators, or even if something was hidden with the generators, our instruments won't be able to pick them up.

MORGAN: How long before the generators run out of power?

WELLIAS: Good question Admiral. Brandt, you want to take this one?

JUNIOR TECHNICIAN SIMONE BRANDT: Yes sir. Junior Technician Simone Brandt speaking, Admiral. Unfortunately it's almost impossible to tell, Admiral. You see it rather depends what the professor was using to power the Perception Field generators, and what sort of equipment she was using, Admiral.

MORGAN: You know, you don't have to end every sentence you say to me with "Admiral".

BRANDT: Yes Admiral, sorry…sir.

MORGAN: Right, well let's assume that she had very primitive technology with her, yes? We're talking about a civilization that barely has access to outer space, and it's extremely doubtful she'd have terribly sophisticated tech on her TARDIS, except for the TARDIS itself. I'll check with command to make sure but I think the TARDIS cannot generate a Perception Field Generator on its own.

BRANDT: I'd have to run some calculations to be sure, but at a rough estimate I'd say that the Perception Field generators will burn out in two to three days.

MORGAN: That's a long time. We need to find them before that. The Williams' didn't want those things to be found, they must be of some importance. Wellias, when you next interrogate the Williams', ask them where the Perception Field generators are hidden. Technician Brandt, could we rig up a Perception Field locator of some kind?

BRANDT: Difficult to say, Admiral. Perception Fields are meant to avoid detection, and this does extend, to a much lesser extent, to mechanical devices, as well as living beings. Anything with any kind of sensors will be on some level, inclined to ignore the Field.

MORGAN: Well keep on thinking Technician. In fact, put together a team. Any Technicians on the ship you think would help to solve this problem.

BRANDT: Yes, Admiral, I'll get right on that, Admiral.

WELLIAS: I'll return to interrogation in an hour, sir.

MORGAN: Excellent.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 13 (Captured)_

The irony is, of course, that I left Gallifrey, in part, to be free. I wanted to get away from the cage that we had been put in. The cage that saved us. And now, I'm in another cage, this one a little more literal.

I haven't even been out in the Universe for two weeks, and I find myself cut off from it once again.

Stuck in a single cell, on a single ship.

I miss Gallifrey.


	12. Chapter 12: The Idealist (Day 14,Part 1)

**Chapter 12: The Idealist (Day 14, Part 1)**

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 22  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-0  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

SECURITY CHIEF WELLIAS FOXTER: Good morning Mrs. Williams.

AMELIA WILLIAMS: Hello. I had a human interrogator yesterday. Tall bloke. Rather liked him. Who are you?

WELLIAS: I'm the Security Chief.

A. WILLIAMS: Oh dear, what have I done to deserve you?

WELLIAS: You've hidden a generator. In fact you and your husband have, somewhere aboard this ship hidden two Perception Field generators. And I want to know where they are, and I want to know why you've hidden them.

A. WILLIAMS: I wouldn't say I've hidden them, I'd more say that they got dropped in the firefight I got into with your men and I have no idea where that might have been.

WELLIAS: I know you're lying Mrs. Williams.

A. WILLIAMS: Pond.

WELLIAS: What?

A. WILLIAMS: My maiden name. It's Pond.

WELLIAS: I confess that I fail to see the relevance Mrs. Williams.

A. WILLIAMS: It's not terribly relevant it's just that I kind of prefer the name Pond to Williams. Williams sounds like the name that a bank broker would have. Pond sounds like…well a friend of mine used to say it was a name out of a fairy tale.

WELLIAS: You're stalling, Mrs. Williams.

A. WILLIAMS: Well I'm not going to tell you anything, am I? And you lot don't seem like the type to torture or kill prisoners – you'd have done that already, or at least threatened it. So I might as well talk about what I want to talk about. Besides, like I said, my name is Pond.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 23  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-0  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

SECURITY OFFICER LISA CALDT: Mr. Williams, let me be perfectly clear. You are not leaving this ship. You will spend the rest of your life aboard the Beacon. Now, you can spend that life in our cells, or you can spend that life in relative comfort. You can spend that life with your wife, or without her. Your friend, the professor can join you, or she can be transferred to a prison facility. And it all depends on you.

RORY WILLIAMS: Go on.

CALDT: Tell me where the Perception field generators are.

R. WILLIAMS: No.

CALDT: You'll never see your wife again.

R. WILLIAMS: I very much doubt that.

CALDT: Even if you do see her again, it will be a very long wait.

R. WILLIAMS: Amy and I are good at waiting. We've had a lot of practice.

CALDT: I hope you're not implying that you could escape from the Beacon. Because that would be impossible.

R. WILLIAMS: So is this what humanity becomes? How many years in my future are you? And all you've become is arrogant bullies.

CALDT: Mr. Williams, where are the generators?

R. WILLIAMS: The Doctor thought so highly of us.

CALDT: Mr. Williams, this is not something you can think about. I need to know where the generators are today.

R. WILLIAMS: How disappointed he'd be.

Leanna's Instructions for Disabling the Mothership

Before I start giving out your instructions, there's something important you need to know. If you ever think you're in danger of being caught, I need you two to take of your Perception Field Generators. You'll notice that they can interlock. Interlock them then hide them somewhere aboard this ship. The Twelve shouldn't be able to find them in time.

By the way this will only work if you've made at least to step four. If you haven't do it anyway. Could be a useful diversion.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-1  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

SUBADMIRAL CYBERUNIT #43: Admiral Morgan.

ADMIRAL ALEXIS MORGAN: Go ahead 43.

CYBERUNIT #43: There's a transmission originating from an unknown location aboard the Beacon, aimed at the planet. It is likely that the source of the transmission is the Perception Field Generators.

MORGAN: What makes you say that?

CYBERUNIT #43: It does not originate from any of the Communications Units. And sensors aboard the Beacon cannot locate its precise location, indicating that the location is being masked somehow.

MORGAN: Which a Perception Filter would do. Do we have a general area the transmission might be coming from?

CYBERUNIT #43: It appears to be somewhere on levels 4 or 5, Admiral. The sensors will not give a more precise reading.

MORGAN: Get me that Junior Tech I was talking to yesterday.

CYBERUNIT #43: Simone Brandt, sir.

MORGAN: That's the one.

 _Communications Window opened_

JUNIOR TECHNICIAN SIMONE BRANDT: Hello sir.

MORGAN: Brandt you look awful.

BRANDT: I've been up all night trying to find the Perception Field Generators. I've isolated 230 smallish areas they might be in, but I can't give you any more so far. We've been trying to eliminate areas by the clarity of sensor readings. The better our sensor readings are, the less likely it is for the areas to contain the generators.

MORGAN: On that note, I've got good news and bad news Brandt.

BRANDT: Give me the good news.

MORGAN: You can limit your search to levels uh…what were the levels 43?

CYBERUNIT #43: Levels 4 or 5 Admiral.

MORGAN: That's right. Does that help you?

BRANDT: 21, how many of the potential areas are on levels 4 or 5?

JUNIOR TECHNICIAN CYBERUNIT #21: 72.

BRANDT: Well that narrows it down, but its still on hell of a large area to search. I'll get back to you Admiral. What's the bad news.

MORGAN: You're on a deadline, and I could not possibly tell you how soon that deadline will expire. The Generators are transmitting to the planet's surface.

BRANDT: That could actually be good news, Admiral. Can you send over the data on the transmission?

MORGAN: 43, give her the data.

CYBERUNIT #43: I obey.

BRANDT: All right people, I think you'll know what to do with this. Let's get to work! Thank you, Admiral.

 _Communications window closed_

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 34  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-1  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

WELLIAS: Your Perception Field Generators have begun transmitting.

PROFESSOR: Oh have they? Good, good.

WELLIAS: So, you knew this was going to happen?

PROFESSOR: Well, my friend, as you've correctly deduced, this was my plan. Well actually, Amy came up with the idea; I just filled in some of the details. So yes, of course I knew this was going to happen.

WELLIAS: Why are they transmitting?

PROFFESSOR: Foxter, let me ask you a question. What possible reason do I have for telling you?

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Technician Station 1  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-2  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

JUNIOR TECHNICIAN SWALA KATHIAS: Simone, I think we've found them.

BRANDT: Show me.

SWALA: Here.

BRANDT: Looks plausible. Alright, 21, Kathias, go look for them.

CYBERUNIT #21: I obey.

BRANDT: You really don't have to say that. 79, Brian! The two generators might be separated. We might not have found them. You remember what the Admiral said: we're on a deadline here!

JUNIOR TECHNICIAN CYBERUNIT #79: I obey.

JUNIOR TECHNICIAN BRIAN SMITH: Yes ma'am.

BRANDT: Don't call me ma'am.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 34  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-2  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

WELLIAS: It's been an hour, professor. Whatever you wanted to happen has either happened, or it never will. Tell me where the generators are professor.

PROFESSOR: Nonsense. You don't know that, or you wouldn't ask me. But let me ask you a question.

WELLIAS: I'm not interested in playing games professor.

PROFESSOR: Believe me, neither have I. I've come at this from all possible angles I can think of. And I have no idea what you might find so dangerous about Calth. So just tell me. What is going on?

WELLIAS: Tell me where the generators are. And I'll consider it.

PROFESSOR: Wrong order. You tell me what you're so afraid of on Calth, and I'll tell you where the generators are. Maybe. If I like your explanation.

WELLIAS: I'll ask the admiral.

 _Communications window opened_

MORGAN: Wellias, your ears must be burning, I was just about to call you.

WELLIAS: My ears must be…this is one of those human expressions isn't it?

MORGAN: Right, sorry. We've found the generators. Both of them.

WELLIAS: Well then, Professor, I have a feeling we won't be needing you after all.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-2  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

MORGAN: Junior Technician Brandt, I am hereby promoting you to Senior Technician. Yes, I'm aware that you never actually made plain old technician, but your work has been exemplary.

BRANDT: My work's not over, Admiral. Still got to shut the transmitters in these things down. And, that's very difficult work when a Perception Field is making me not want to look at it.

MORGAN: That was you telling me not to disturb you, wasn't it?

BRANDT: Yes, Admiral.

MORGAN: Can't we just smash the thing?

BRANDT: Do not smash a Perception Field Generator. Ever. We'd all end up blind and maybe a little bit deaf. Permanently. And then we'd die. Because our ship would lose all of its sensors. And our entire fleet would as well. This thing, if destroyed, would permanently fry the sensors of any machine or living being within a 1 light year radius.

MORGAN: Your point is well taken Brandt.

BRANDT: Fortunately for all of us, you're unlikely to damage it significantly without trying.

 _[…]_

BRANDT: Well, I can tell you this much. This thing isn't just transmitting to the planet. It's been receiving transmissions from the planet for a while now, and it's transmitting those messages to somewhere aboard the ship.

MORGAN: Can you shut it down?

BRANDT: I don't recognize the technology the Professor used. So, no. But I think I can contain the transmissions. 21, send a message to Brian. Tell him we're going to need equipment to suppress a Delta Band communicator.

CYBERUNIT #21: I obey.

 _[…]_

MORGAN: How long will this take?

BRANDT: We're building a complex system of transmission suppressors around the generators. So about 5 more minutes.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Cell 34  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-2  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

PROFESSOR: You know, it occurs to me, for somebody who doesn't have much more to ask me you sure are fixated on me Security Chief.

WELLIAS: How did you escape from Gallifrey?

PROFESSOR: How did you know there was a Gallifrey to escape from?

WELLIAS: I'm the one asking the questions here.

PROFESSOR: Chief Wellias, I –

WELLIAS: What the hell?

PROFESSOR: Oh, that would be a power cut. All lighting systems, emergency lighting systems, propulsion systems and communications systems have been shut down. All of which is courtesy of my dear friends on Calth. Looks like the cameras are still up though. So I guess this will be recorded for posterity.

WELLIAS: You still can't escape Professor. I'm the one with the gun here.

PROFESSOR: And where are you going to aim it Wellias?

WELLIAS: I can't seem to aim at you? Why can't I –

PROFESSOR: Perception Field Generator. It was turned off upon my arrival.

WELLIAS: We searched you, we would have found –

PROFESSOR: Did you know that when a Perception Field Generator is turned off, it still generates a tiny Perception Field around itself? It takes almost no power at all to generate, but it can be very difficult to eliminate the field entirely, so most designs, especially rudimentary ones like I built on Calth, simply leave it in. You quite simply did not notice the generator.

WELLIAS: I still have the gun!

PROFESSOR: Do you?

WELLIAS: No!

PROFESSOR: Let me just turn this off…All right chief. I've got the gun now. So you're going to answer some questions. Starting with this: What are you so afraid of on Calth?

WELLIAS: You wouldn't understand.

PROFESSOR: I'm not asking you to make me understand, I'm asking you to tell me what's going on here!

A. WILLIAMS: Leanna!

PROFESSOR: Amy, what are you doing here?

R. WILLIAMS: Looking for you. When you didn't show up at the meet, we figured you'd run into trouble.

A. WILLIAMS: What are you doing?

PROFESSOR: I need to know what's going on here!

WELLIAS: I'll never tell you, so you might as well just shoot me now.

R. WILLIAMS: Leanna, just think about this!

PROFESSOR: Why? Why won't you tell me?

WELLIAS: Let me ask you this, Professor Leanna, since that is apparently your name. Are you an idealist?

PROFESSOR: I suppose I am in a way. I like to see the best in people.

WELLIAS: Then I can't tell you. Because an idealist could never understand what we're doing. Or why it is so important.

PROFESSOR: I'll remind you, Chief, that I have the gun.

WELLIAS: You are an enemy of the Twelve now Professor. The Twelve have a cause that I fully believe in. I cannot tell you anything. I would rather die.

PROFESSOR: Damn.

WELLIAS: Ow!

R. WILLIAMS: Nice hit.

A. WILLIAMS: Butt of the gun. Always a solid choice.

PROFESSOR: You didn't think I was going to kill him, did you?

R. WILLIAMS: There was a moment a doubt. When you had the gun to his head.

PROFESSOR: How did the pair of you get away from your interrogators anyway?

R. WILLIAMS: Punch to the face.

A. WILLIAMS: Knee to the bollocks.

PROFESSOR: Let's move. The cameras can still see us.

FLIGHT RECORDING – The Beacon: Command Center  
 _Universal Time Marker: 54.20.14-3  
Transcript retained for historical significance_

CYBERUNIT #43: Power restored Admiral.

BRANDT: The perception field generators seem to have burnt themselves out. They're safe now.

MORGAN: Thank you Brandt.

BRANDT: I was this close to suppressing the transmissions. I needed another minute.

CYBERUNIT #21: This assessment is accurate.

MORGAN: Not your fault Brandt. Not that there hasn't been any fault over the past few days. 43, tell me how they escaped.

CYBERUNIT #43: There is a missing shuttle Admiral. It seems to have been taken offline – we cannot find it.

MORGAN: Of course we can't. Today has been a colossal embarrassment for us all. The only people here who shouldn't feel ashamed is our newest Senior Technician Simone Brandt and her crew who, apparently, were a minute away from saving us all from the greatest embarrassment of our careers! Unfortunately for her, I cannot offer her any thanks other than her promotion, as I will be asking her to upgrade our apparently pitiful computer security systems!

BRANDT: Understood Admiral.

MORGAN: 43, take a couple security officers and work on restoring power to the fleet. The rest of us will be returning to Summit 2, where, in all likelihood, I will be demoted to captain for this colossal failure. I think we can all guess what was transmitted to the surface of Calth: weapon blueprints, which I can only assume the professor meant to be used against us. And by the time we can mount a second offensive against Calth, they will be ready to take us on in a nearly even fight. I suppose the Professor believed she was doing the right thing. I can only hope, for the sake of the Universe, that she was right.

 **AN: Don't worry. We'll be explaining the details of Leanna and company's escape in the next chapter.**

 **I spent far longer than I expected aboard The Beacon, quite possibly because I really liked the characters there. I hope I find a way to visit them again.**


	13. Chapter 13: Escape Route (Day 14,Part 2)

**Chapter 13: Escape Route (Day 14, Part 2)**

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 14_

It feels good to be writing in my journal again. I made sure Amy and Rory grabbed it from security on our way off of The Beacon. It has my notes in it, including my notes on how they were to sabotage The Beacon.

I even managed to hold on to my own journal entry from my time aboard The Beacon. So that goes in here as well.

A place to just be yourself. I think without it, I would spend all my time talking to myself.

So how did we do it? How did we do the (by all rights) impossible?

I spent three days building the suckers. Making the Perception Field generators was the easy thing. But then came time to build Rory's. I wanted to have his be able to store and transmit data. Unfortunately, it was a little small to power the entire transmitter. I had to attach the second half of the transmitter to Amy's generator.

When Rory first hacked into the weapons blueprints aboard the Beacon he plugged the storage device on his perception field Generator into the Beacon's systems. Fortunately, as I predicted, the Twelve are heavily reliant on wireless.

DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS TRANSCRIPT – Adm. Alexis Morgan  
 _Location: Summit 2  
Universal Time Marker: 54.20.17_

ADMIRAL ALEXIS MORGAN: […] It would appear that the Gallifreyan woman calling herself the Professor had not only instructed her two human friends in hacking our technology but also a Hostile Native of some technical skill on the planet below. The Perception Field Generators, when combined together, managed to act as some sort transmitter. Because they had stored information on our weapons systems aboard that transmitter, that information was sent to the surface below. My technicians estimate that in about 7 to 14 days the Hostile Natives will be capable of successfully defending their planet from invasion by us. We cannot mount another invasion force in that time without seriously compromising other operations.

INQUISITOR HASHT: I assume time travel will not solve this problem?

MORGAN: We are part of established events, Inquisitor.

HASHT: Thank you. Continue, Admiral.

MORGAN: Well […]

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 14 (Continued)_

It was relatively simple, from that point for the Wexler computer programmer on the surface, once he'd finished downloading all the information we'd sent him, to hack back into the systems remotely, since Rory had left him a back door to do that the first time he hacked into the systems…assuming of course he followed my instructions exactly. And the computer systems involved behaved exactly as expected. Which, fortunately, he did and they did.

I knew we'd all be captured at this point, so I simply told the programmer on the surface how to shut down The Beacon's systems. He took a bit longer than I expected, apparently because I hadn't properly guessed the level of computer security aboard the Beacon. But fortunately he knew what he was doing, and shut down the systems, giving us a chance to maker our escape.

DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS TRANSCRIPT – Adm. Alexis Morgan  
 _Location: Summit 2  
Universal Time Marker: 54.20.17_

MORGAN: According to our Senior Technician, the Gallifreyan woman and her friends exploited key weaknesses in the security of our physical terminals. As I understand it – and to be clear, I'm no Technician – but the systems aboard The Beacon, and indeed all of our ships, are fairly simple to hack if you have access to a physical terminal and rudimentary knowledge of modern computer systems, the latter of which our invaders clearly had.

INQUISITOR CYBERUNIT #1: It is the former that is most troubling Admiral.

INQUISTOR JAMES DARNT: Hold on a second. This Senior Technician of yours. This would be Simone Brandt, yes? The technician you promoted in the middle of this fiasco?

MORGAN: Look. You can throw all the blame at me that you want. I deserve it. But if there is one person I am standing by through all of this, it's Senior Technician Simone Brandt. She proved herself more than capable.

CYBERUNIT #1: She failed to suppress the transmitter device.

MORGAN: She and her team worked as fast as possible on that. According to her and another member of the team – a Cyberman by the way – they were within one minute of successfully suppressing that device. And she's shored up the security systems aboard the Beacon. I think you'll find that work most commendable.

HASHT: Indeed we have had our Technicians look over the modifications your Senior Technician made to your security systems. Very impressive.

Amy's Journal

Of course, the fun was getting away from the Wexler. They wanted us to stay, you see, to help them defend against the next attack by the Twelve. Leanna's dubious that they'll come again, but I think that if they were that invested in blowing up Calth the first time, it's a good chance they attack again a second time, even if the Wexler are better armed.

Anyway, the Wexler wanted to stay, but they were treating us like heroes, so they weren't really watching over us to quickly. During the festivities we snuck our way out the back door and back to Leanna's TARDIS, where I'm currently sitting writing this thing while orbiting a small moon which itself is orbiting around a medium-sized gas giant.

Quite a beautiful sight. I'll never get tired of coming out to the universe and seeing it all.

DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS TRANRIPT – Adm. Alexis Morgan  
 _Location: Summit 2  
Universal Time Marker: 54.20.17_

CHIEF INQUISITOR CARTION FOXTER: Admiral Alexis Morgan, this tribunal has come to a decision. I would like to be clear on a few points, and since this transcript is confidential, I can say this without fear of it getting out, but you must swear not to reveal what I'm about to tell you.

MORGAN: My oath as an officer.

CARTION: Very good. Admiral, I do not think you were entirely at fault for the disaster at Calth. I believe you may have been a little lax in dealing with this…"Professor" and I certainly believe you should have waited until after the crisis before promoting anybody, but nobody is faultless and you performed your duties to the best of your abilities, I'm certain. However, every failure of this magnitude requires somebody to take the fall, and unfortunately, I can see nobody better to take that fall than you. I would like to demote you. To move you away from fieldwork. To do anything that kept a solid soldier like yourself in the service somehow. Unfortunately, none of this will be quite enough in the eyes of the public, or in the eyes of the Twelve governments we represent. While all of us here agree that you deserve better, to some extent or another, I'm afraid we have no option but to give you an honorable discommendation. You are out of the service, and barred from reentering again. This hearing is closed.

Leanna's Journal

We have so many unanswered questions. I'm starting to get tired of them, but there you have it. Amy, Rory and myself have talked it over and we have agreed that we need to find out more about what the Twelve are planning. Unfortunately I have no idea where they are based out of, but fortunately, this can be discovered if we go into human space.


	14. Interlude: Weird Days (Days 15-23)

**Interlude: Weird Days (Days 15-23)**

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 15_

Today we aimed for human space. We're looking for the Second (of Four) Great and Bountiful Human Empire, which was the one that fought with the Time Lords during the Time War. From their perspective, this all occurred during the 50th Century.

Unfortunately, it appears that we are no longer getting the help from my TARDIS that I've grown to rely so heavily upon. In other words, we are flying more or less blind.

We landed in the middle of a desert today. I have no idea which planet we're on. If I deciphered the chronometer correctly we were about 400 years too early.

Damn.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 15_

I don't think I've ever taken the time to actually describe this TARDIS' control room. I think has to qualify for bad writing of some kind. It's much smaller than the Doctor's was. And it's mostly in white. There's a bunch of large round things that form a sort of pattern around the room.

The control panel itself is…well it's much more like you'd expect a control panel to be if you watched any science fiction. Still hexagonal, of course but there are actual switches and buttons and levers that aren't taken from a bicycle.

Of course, this all makes up for the fact that the control panel appears to have placed all crucial functions in random places between the six panels.

For instance: the two panels that I've been given have on them the Temporal Stabilizers, which prevent us from being ejected at random from the Time Vortex at random, but then on the same panel is Exit Coordination Subliminator (I think) which works with a device on one of Leanna's panels to coordinate the exit point in space.

So Leanna and I are yelling back and forth about setting this mechanism precisely and of course I don't have a clue what I'm doing, while Rory is busy yelling at Leanna about trying not to tear the fabric of reality with one of his controls, while I'm busy trying to keep us in the time vortex, and half the time, I end up hitting the food dispenser on accident and getting some Gallifreyan dish that I never wanted. Which would be less of a problem if the food dispenser switch on my control panel wasn't next to the Ephatic Beam Suppressor, which, if I understand Leanna, helps stop us from accidentally tearing the fabric of the universe to badly.

Leanna insists that we must find something called "Summit 2".

Summit 1 was apparently where the Time Lords and the rest of the Alliance of Thirteen met during the early days of the Time War. Leanna doesn't know where it is, and in any case, the Daleks destroyed it. But, according to Leanna, there is a secondary meeting point, called, unimaginatively, Summit 2.

I'm getting the feeling that the Time Lords aren't very imaginative, as a people.

Anyway, Leanna figures if we can find a suitable time during the Second Great Human Empire (or something like that), we can probably figure out where Summit 2. But with the space-time continuum being virtually infinite, I'm starting to think we'd have a better chance of finding a goldfish on Mars.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 16_

Today was a weird day (…)

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 16_

(…) so once we got the psychic particles out of the science center it was a rather simple matter of finding the computer chips in the control center in order to turn off the robot (…)

Amy's Journal

 _Day 17_

(…) The colonists thought we were hostile (isn't that always the way?). We tried to explain to them that it was actually the Gratholite, but we didn't know it was called a Gratholite at the time so we ended up trying to describe the thing. Trying to describe a Gratholite is a surefire way to get yourself thrown in a mental institution of course, so in the end (…)

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 17_

(…) One of the mental patients who was under the impression that she was Margaret Thatcher, in spite of being a century too late to be her was actually quite helpful in escaping the facility, though admittedly I am a little worried she'll try to invade the Falklands again (…)

Amy's Journal

 _Day 17_

(…) All's well that ends well of course and we managed to warn the government in time.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 18_

(…) Of course, if the TARDIS hadn't fallen into the Grand Canyon, we wouldn't have been around to prevent the world from ending at the hands of (…)

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 19_

(…) The threat of the Cornituron still remains a very serious possibility if anybody opens that peanut butter jar. It doesn't help, of course, that the Cornituron does look suspiciously like peanut butter when shoved in a small jar.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 20_

(…) I'm glad we stuck around (at my insistence I'll have you know). Seeing as the Cornituron is unlikely to escape from the nuclear storage device with the word DANGER plastered all over it in red, we should be safe this time. (…)

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 20_

(…) Of course it's not strictly accurate. The Cornituron is dangerous of course, but the canister also has a bunch of warnings about radioactive materials and the Cornituron isn't actually radioactive. Well no more than you or me. (…)

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 21_

Five planets visited today, no intelligent life on any of them. One had a breathable atmosphere and vegetation. The vegetation wasn't edible though. Shame, as those fruits looked delicious. (…)

Amy's Journal

 _Day 22_

(…) Rory is still sick from those fruits from that planet. Leanna says he should be okay, but since she's a temporal physicist, not a doctor, I'm not taking her word for it.

Also he's started hallucinating. Seems to think that he's a Dalek.

I have no idea why. (…)

Amy's Journal

 _Day 23_

Rory's better now. Leanna was right, but I'm still pretty sure she was lying to me when she pretended to know what was going to happen. (…)

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 23_

For once we met a group of humans who weren't scared of us or in any kind of danger or anything like that. We had a quiet day, at last.

I've noticed we've been finding a lot of human communities. Which is probably a good sign. It means, I hope, that we're getting close to where we want to be.

It's been nine days since we left Calth – from our perspective of course. I hope soon we find our way to Summit Two soon.

I need to know what is going on.


	15. Chapter 14: Cyberworld (Day 24)

**Note: Apologies for lateness, etc. Haven't had much of a chance to do much writing lately.**

 **Chapter 14: Cyberworld (Day 24)**

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 24_

Today was not what I had expected it to be. It was not what I had hoped. But I will give today this much, it was a productive day.

When we landed the TARDIS door was a large metal automatic door. The three of us walked through it.

I didn't recognize the door at first but when we exited the door I knew where we were. We were on a Cyberworld.

A Cyberworld is a world that Cybermen have taken over. They vary quite a bit. Cybermen do actually need to breathe so you can be sure to find oxygen as well as plant life on a Cyberworld, but they're less affected by things like gravity, temperature, disease, or toxins. This means that some Cyberworlds exist in wildly varying areas.

This particular Cyberworld was one of the more Gallifrey-like ones, but it was still noticeably different from my home world, and indeed from Amy and Rory's.

The gravity was much stronger. I'd say about 1.3 times the strength of the gravity on Gallifrey, which is enough to make you feel pulled down all the time. The air was breatheable, fortunately, but smelled slightly off, which meant we could stick around there, but not indefinitely. There were toxins in the air, in small quantities, but eventually we'd start to feel some of their effects.

Temperature-wise we were in pretty good shape. It was a little warm, and I'd learn later that we were at the North Pole, meaning that we'd be okay as long as we avoided going south at all.

The more striking feature of a Cyberworld, at least one that Gallifreyans and humans can survive on, is all the Cybermen.

Amy's Journal

 _Day 24_

(…) On the whole, this was not what we were expecting. Leanna had been telling us that we were getting closer, because of all the humans we kept on running into. So we had all figured this would mean we were getting closer to the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire.

I wanted to leave. There are places you don't walk into, and an entire planet filled with things that would like nothing better than to take your better functioning organs and shove them into a machine is one of them.

Rory noticed something however.

"There's people here," he said, "humans I mean."

Leanna smiled.

"The Cybermen here are with the Twelve. That means the Cybermen shouldn't harm us. Come on!"

"Are you sure?" asked Rory.

"No," said Leanna, "but if this is a Twelve-related planet we might find answers. And I am tired of bouncing around the universe hoping we happen to show up on a planet that has answers."

Leanna offered to have us stay behind in the TARDIS, but of course we didn't let her leave us behind. We came along for adventures after all.

"We should have identities," I pointed out, "I don't think ordinary humans come here. We need to have some sort of military identity."

"I'll be Lucy Napier," said Leanna, "Military policy advisor."

"I'll be Adrienne Paulson," I said, "Strategist."

"I'll be…uh…um…can somebody come up with a name for me?" said Rory.

"Roger Watson," I suggested.

"Roger Watson," he repeated, "Inspector. Military inspector I mean."

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"We're looking for information on the Twelve," Leanna reminded me.

"No," I said, "I mean what are we pretending to be doing here?"

Leanna thought it over for a second. Rory cut in though.

"Strategic coordination between the Cyberman and human armies," he said.

"Good thinking," said Leanna. Let's try and avoid to many questions though, okay?"

Rory and I nodded.

We spent a bit of time afterwards looking around for important looking structures but it's kind of hard to tell with Cybermen, everything ends up looking sort of similar.

Plus the gravity was starting to drag us down a little.

"You look lost," called out a voice. It was a tall, rather good-looking man.

"Yes," I said, taking a stab in the dark, "we're looking for the main records area."

"You mean Cyberbuilding number 403?"

"Is that actually what it's called?" I asked.

"No," he grinned, "It's called the Central Records System. But you can't access the records here unless you're a Cyberman."

"That's all right," said Leanna, "we're just here as observers. I'm Lucy Napier, military policy advisor for the Twelve."

"And an informal one too," said the man, grinning again, "I'm Jacob Hart. Weapons Systems Developer for the Defensive Alliance of Twelve Powers."

We all introduced ourselves. Jacob Hart was on the planet to develop weapons based on Cyber technology. Apparently the Cybermen had developed the most advanced weapons of the Twelve – or I suppose I should say the DATP.

I'm also fairly certain that Hart winked at me. Didn't notice if he did it to Leanna as well. Since Rory and I weren't playing a married couple, I winked back, nervously. He really was good looking, though he looked at least fifteen years younger than me. Not really interested in younger men these days. Besides, I've got Rory.

Anyway, Jacob Hart took us over to the Central Records System. It was a building like any of the others.

"Shouldn't you know where you're going?" he asked, "I mean if you were sent here, didn't they send a map along?"

"We had a bit of a bumpy trip over," said Rory, covering, "nobody got hurt, but our computer systems got damaged a little. We lost the data for the map."

Hart looked at Rory like he was trying to figure out any hidden meanings behind what he was saying.

"Happens," said Hart, "at least no critical systems on the ship got damaged at least, otherwise you wouldn't be here. And I for one, am glad to have met the three of you. Always nice to see some human faces on a Cyberworld."

"So you've been on Cyberworlds before?"

"Sort of a specialty of mine. Best record keepers among the Twelve. Get great data from them."

"What sort of data?" I asked, "I mean, what are you looking for?"

"Weapon efficiency, weapon effectiveness, cost in resources, that sort of thing. Plus data on how effective different species are with different weapons."

I nodded. It was all pretty awful, but I think I did a good job maintaining a straight face.

"Well," said Hart, "what are the three of you doing here?"

"Confidential," said Leanna with a certainty that made me almost believe she was being honest, "sorry Mr. Hart."

"Don't worry about it," said Hart, flashing yet another one of his big grins.

Leanna gave an excuse about not being needed for another few hours and agreed to meet up with Hart later.

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 24_

(…) We all went back to the TARDIS to discuss our next move. We knew what we needed: we needed to hack into the Central Records System. But we don't know how. We're not going to get away with another Perception Field Generator trick this time – they'll be better equipped to register Perception Field Generators. In fact I think I rather overplayed my hand on the Beacon.

We talked it over for the rest of the day, but got no further. Rory suggested we call it a night, and I agreed.

There are, of course, a few things I'm curious about.

One is this man Jacob Hart. I'm fairly certain there's more to him than he's letting on. The question is, what does that mean? Could he be an ally? Or is he a more dangerous enemy?

The other thing is the full name of the Twelve: The Defensive Alliance of Twelve Powers. The "Twelve Powers" part makes sense of course, but "Defensive Alliance"? Attacking a planet that has barely made it into space doesn't exactly fit that word. Regardless of what we find, I doubt I'll ever feel like calling them a "Defensive Alliance" but how do they justify that? That's the real question.

Maybe tomorrow will bring answers.


	16. Chapter 15: The Captain (Day 25)

**Chapter 15: The Captain (Day 25)**

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 25_

Today began with a bit of a shock.

Someone was knocking at the TARDIS door.

I had never had anyone knock on my TARDIS door before.

Amy and Rory were sleeping peacefully in their beds, three doors away. I, for my part, had fallen asleep underneath the TARDIS console trying to plot out how exactly the thing was wired. TARDISes need maintenance and I haven't done any.

I fell asleep working on the thing and awoke to knocking on the door.

After turning down the lights in the TARIDS, I pressed my hand against the control panel that activated the automatic door.

It was Jacob Hart.

"I followed you," he said with a grin.

I nodded.

"Good day sir," I said, and went to close the door.

Then Hart shoved his way past me through the door. He looked around at my TARDIS.

"Haven't been in one of these in a while," he said, "about…a hundred years now, I think."

"You're not with the Twelve, are you?" I said, taking a stab in the dark.

"Neither are you," he said, "Captain Jack Harkness," he added, "at your service."

Amy's Journal

 _Day 25_

Jack Harkness was one of us – one of the people that travelled with the Doctor. And when you travel with the Doctor, weird things can happen to you.

In my case, I gave birth to a new sort of Time Lord. In Jack's case, he ended up immortal. Something to do with someone else the Doctor travelled with called Rose and she swallowed the Time Vortex or something – I had trouble following. I think Leanna understood. Rory just stared blankly at Jack.

So, I was a little off when I said yesterday that Jack was too young for me. He's actually way too old for me.

This is actually his time – Jack's I mean. Technically he's about a hundred years past it, but we're much closer to his time than we are to ours.

We're here to find out about the Twelve. He's here for much more personal reasons.

"I've been putting it off for years," he said, "I was a Time Agent, and I did something. I don't know what it was, but they took my memories."

Time Agents are like police with time travel, only working for private companies and somehow far more corrupt.

"Information on my memories might be hidden in Central Records System on this Cyberworld. The Human Empire occasionally sends a bunch of data over the Cybermen for analysis. Data on Time Agents is probably included in that. I could at least find out what I did."

Leanna caught Jack up on the state of things on Gallifrey.

"What I don't understand," said Leanna, "is how an alliance between Humans and Cybermen works. Don't they run into trouble with the Cybermen looking to use their allies for spare parts?"

"Most of the stuff about the Twelve," explained Jack, "is kept secret. But, my understanding is that during the Time War, when the Alliance of Thirteen was initially formed, Human involvement in the alliance was considered crucial. The Human Empire refused to get involved in the war unless the Cybermen changed their programming to stop trying to convert humans."

"And the Cybermen took that, did they?" I said, skeptical.

"They asked the human empire to clone them body parts so they could continue to repair themselves and even reproduce. The Dalek threat was serious enough that the Cybermen agreed."

"They didn't cover that in my history books," said Leanna.

"The Time Lords weren't terribly interested as long as the humans were joining," explained Jack.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Summit 2 is, would you?" asked Rory.

"What's Summit 2?" asked Jack.

"How about the 'Prime Directive' of the Twelve?" asked Rory.

"Never heard the term. I wasn't aware that there was one."

"What does the Twelve do?" asked Leanna, "As far as you know I mean."

"Until you told me today, I wasn't aware that they did anything other than acted as a military for all twelve powers. I mean, I knew they got into a few wars here and there, but full-scale invasions? That's all knew to me."

"So," said Rory, "we all want to hack into the Central Records System. How do we do that?"

"Well," said Jack, "I can get you into the building with my stolen credentials. But the hacking part? I'm going to need some help."

Leanna smiled.

"I'm good with computers," she said, "I think I can whip something up."

Leanna's Journal

 _Day 25_

Here's the results of today's labor: I have a device. A device which will, probably, if I understand Cyber technology correctly, which I might not

I will start that sentence over again.

I have a device. If all goes well it can make hacking into Cyberman systems really simple. If all goes poorly, I can use it to do my own hacking. Unless Jack completely got the type of connecting cable I need to connect to Cyber systems wrong. Which is entirely possible.

It's a shot in the dark. No doubt. In fact it's worse than that. But no harm if we fail. We can try again later.


End file.
